


A Different Kind of Second Chance

by GrandDukeForever



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Don't Even Know, Incest, M/M, Past Character Death, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 07:12:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrandDukeForever/pseuds/GrandDukeForever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was given this request on another one of my fics AGES ago, and I promised I'd fill it.  I added it to my super long list of prompts I planned to fill, and FINALLY I've reached it on the list.  The request reads as follows: "Following Raleigh's detonation or whatever it is that he did to flood Gispy's reactor cores, he is caught in the collapsing kaiju bridge and transported to an alternate universe where he wakes up to find himself and Alternate!Yancy. I would like to see a happy reunion, regardless that they aren't each other's true Raleigh and Yancy, as a sort of 'you saved the world, so here's your reward' type of thing. Lots of fluff would be much appreciative."</p><p>For the first time since I've started posting here, I don't have an exact number of chapters in mind—how long or short this fic becomes is really going to depend on the type of feedback this fic receives.  Constructive feedback is welcomed and appreciated as always!</p><p>Oh, and this is Becketcest.  If you don't like it, then best avoid it.  :p</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to an idea Hardyness gave me a long time ago in the comments section on one of my stories, and also unintended pressure from another one of my lovely supporters, SublimeDiscordance (who thought I'd posted a new chapter up of my OC-centric fic, but unfortunately that's not the case...not yet, anyway :p), I've decided to post this up before it's been completed. 
> 
> Soooo...I rarely write in active voice (let alone present tense, because I find it absolutely awkward to write), but before I knew it, I was doing it here, and I've decided to just run with it, lol. Hopefully it doesn't ruin how the story reads for people. (I apologize in advance if it does!!) Any errors here are mine, of course, and the result of having no patience for a beta. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading! :D Looking forward to reading all your comments!!

In the final moments just before detonating Gipsy Danger in the breach, Raleigh tells himself that he isn't at all afraid to die, for he knows that death—in the whole scheme of things—lasts only for an instant. When it comes to dying, what Raleigh worries about isn’t the process so much as he fears the lack of certainty about where exactly it is he will wake up, if he ends up anywhere at all. He stops thinking about it, however, when the pressure in his escape pod builds and Raleigh finds himself mercifully slipping out of consciousness just seconds before his death. 

Except he doesn't die. Not that Raleigh realizes this the instant he opens his eyes again.

The first thought that crosses Raleigh's mind the minute he wakes up, after he finds himself in a bed and turns his head to see who it is that he feels next to him, is “holy shit,” because it takes him less than half a second to recognize his brother. Sure, Yancy looks a little different—more clean-cut than the slightly rugged man he remembers—but Raleigh figures it's all because of where they are now and quite frankly, he really doesn't care. 

Raleigh Becket quickly comes to the conclusion that he's dead, and he's pretty sure that this is heaven. His brother is here, and nothing else matters.

Admittedly, he finds it odd that it appears people still need to sleep after crossing over to the other side, but then again, he hasn't forgotten how much Yancy has always valued his sleep. If heaven is supposed to be the place that grants people eternal happiness, Raleigh supposes that his brother still spending some of his time sleeping in the afterlife isn't all that unusual.

He watches quietly, content, as his older brother sleeps soundly on. At some point, Raleigh finally dares to reach out his hand and brush his fingertips over his brother's jawline. 

Yancy slowly opens his eyes. He stares at Raleigh for a brief moment before closing them again, mumbling tiredly as they flutter back shut. Yancy utters his name, and Raleigh eagerly responds with a smile. 

“ _Nngh...Rals...”_

“That's right, Yance...! It's me...!” Raleigh whispers excitedly. 

A soft sigh passes through the older man's lips. Yancy's eyes are still closed. 

“Y'seem real...” Yancy mumbles as his brows scrunch together. 

“That's because _I am_ , Yancy...!” Raleigh whispers again, enthusiastically as he places a hand on one of his brother's shoulders, shaking the older man gently. “C'mon, Yance...! Wake up!” 

“I... _hnn_...what...?” Yancy mutters as he blinks his eyes back open and squints. “... _Raleigh_...?” 

“Yeah!” the younger man says, beaming. “It's me, Yance! I finally made it!” 

It takes only a few seconds for the information to sink in and process. Raleigh is too happy to notice his brother's body go completely rigid. What occurs next, happens so quickly that Raleigh almost doesn't have enough time to react. 

The older man's eyes gradually widen. “Holy _shit_...” 

Raleigh frowns slightly when his brother curses; he feels the hairs on his skin start to prickle in warning. “Yance...?” 

The only slow movement Yancy makes is when he carefully slides a hand under his pillow. In a few swift movements, he kicks Raleigh forcefully off the bed with his legs—causing the other man to yelp as he falls—and jumps to the other side, his service pistol trained on Raleigh. The younger man quickly throws up his hands in a defensive stance. Raleigh is starting to become less sure that he's in heaven, and even if he is, he decides that he isn't going to be taking any chances. 

“Whoa, _wait a minute_ , Yance...” Raleigh says, shaking his head, his voice quivering. “What the fuck, man...?” 

“I think that would be my line, kid,” his older brother says, responding with a frown. 

He tilts his chin up slightly, gun still pointed directly at the younger man. His tongue flicks out to wet his lower lip as his finger hovers dangerously over the trigger. 

“Who are you?” Yancy asks. 

“I-it's _me_ , Yance...!” Raleigh whimpers in response, a flicker of hurt flashing through his eyes. “Your brother. _Raleigh._ Don't you remember...?” 

“R...Raleigh...?” Yancy says, gun lowering slightly, the hardened expression on his face faltering as if he was slowly becoming unsure of himself. “How...? No...it's not possible...” 

“Believe me, I couldn't believe it either at first,” Raleigh says, chuckling weakly. “But I mean...here we are though, right...?” 

“How did you even get in?” the older man asks tightly. 

“I...I don't really know,” Raleigh admits, shrugging his shoulder helplessly. “One minute, I'm detonating Gipsy Danger in the breach...you know, to defeat the Kaiju and all that...” 

He trails off when he notices his brother is staring at him like he's got two horns growing out of his head. Raleigh frowns. 

“What...?” he asks. “Don't tell me you don't remember about fighting Kaiju and the Jaegers...?” 

“Of course I don't know about the _Kaiju_ or the _Jaegers_...” Yancy says, speaking slowly and enunciating the words carefully, confusing Raleigh because it seems almost as if the older man finds them to be foreign terms. 

“ _But that can't be possible,”_ Raleigh thinks to himself. _“Can it...?”_

Yancy shakes his head. “I don't know what game you're trying to pull here, kid...but it ain't funny.” 

“Believe me, Yance...” Raleigh whispers softly. “I ain't tryin' to be...” 

“Who are you...?” Yancy asks again, though this time it's with less conviction. “Why were you in my bed...?” 

Raleigh feels his throat go dry. His brows furrow together in confusion. He slowly shakes his head. 

“It's _me_ , Yance...” Raleigh pleads softly. 

“You keep saying that,” Yancy snaps. “But I just don't believe it...no...I _can't_ believe it.” 

“Why not?” Raleigh asks. “Why do you find this so hard to believe...?” 

The expression on the older man's face flickers between pain and irritation. “Because it doesn't make sense. Raleigh's my little brother...” 

“Right,” Raleigh says with a nod. “Because I am...whoa! Hey!” 

Yancy has his gun lifted right back up stiffly and his eyes are stormy. Raleigh raises his hands higher, and he's starting to feel sweaty. 

“Shut _up_...!” the older man growls, and Raleigh's lips press into a thin line. “I don't know what sicko hired you, or what their purpose is...” 

Raleigh's eyes dart nervously between his brother and the gun he's holding. Yancy continues. 

“I'll give them a little credit though...” Yancy says bitterly. “They found one hell of actor. You might look like him and sound like him... _hell_...you even talk just the way he did...but the fact remains. You're _not_ him. No matter how much you insist. It's just not possible.” 

It is most certainly a rare moment—though he does so rapidly, Raleigh takes a few seconds to think a few things through before opening his mouth again to respond. One wrong word and he'll regret it; of this much he is sure. 

“What do you mean by 'it's not possible'?” Raleigh asks, deciding that starting with a question would be the safest route to take in this current situation. 

“Because I _buried_ my brother...” Yancy answers him in a choked voice, eyes becoming glassy with tears. “He's been dead for _five years_...” 

His answer sends Raleigh's mind reeling, and the younger man can't help but to let out a small laugh in disbelief. His posture slouches a fraction and Yancy frowns. 

“What's so funny?” 

“Tell me something...” Raleigh says, looking the older man in the eye while shaking his head. “This place...is it hell?” 

The gun tilts slightly downward again. “What are you talking about now...? No. It isn't.” 

“...good,” Raleigh says. “Though I'm starting to think this isn't heaven either.” 

Yancy's gun lowers a little more. His voice has less of an edge to it when he responds. 

“No. Far from it.” 

“Didn't think so...” Raleigh says, expression grim. “Now the question then becomes...where the hell am I...?”

Yancy wets his lips and he's still frowning. “What do you mean...where are you?” 

“Are we in Anchorage?” Raleigh asks. 

“No,” says Yancy. “But this _is_ the United States.” 

“Ah...well...I suppose that's good,” says Raleigh. “So what's the city and state?” 

“Quantico,” Yancy says simply. “Virginia.” 

“Today's date?” 

“The twelfth of January,” Yancy says. “2025. Is there a point to all of this?” 

“Yeah...yeah there is,” Raleigh says, chuckling softly as he slowly lowers his hands and makes a show of dusting himself off before standing. “You said you don't know anything about Kaiju or Jaegers...right?” 

“Right...” Yancy says, gun now being held loosely in front of him at waist-level. “Because whatever those words mean to you...they don't exist.” 

“Oh they do, I promise you...” Raleigh says dryly. “Just not here.” 

Yancy tilts his head to the side. “What do you mean by that?” 

“I don't know how I'm going to be able to get you to believe me...” Raleigh says, shaking his head. “Hell, I'm not even sure if I can even understand what's going on myself...but I promise you that what I'm about to tell you is nothing but the truth.” 

The older man tilts his chin up slightly. “Go on. I'm listening...” 

“If the date you just gave me really is today's date...this really isn't the afterlife, and you _swear_ that you aren't shitting me about the rest either,” Raleigh starts. 

“What reason would I have to lie?” Yancy asks tersely. 

“ _Exactly_ ,” Raleigh says with a nod. “Why would you?” 

“Get to the point,” Yancy says curtly, slowly raising his firearm again. “I'm not interested in spending my morning playing twisted mind games with you.” 

“Not a morning person in this life either, huh...?” Raleigh says softly. 

Yancy's eyes narrow. “What?” 

“February 29, 2020,” Raleigh says. 

Yancy pales. “...what did you say?” 

“That's when I died. Isn't it?” Raleigh asks. “Here, I mean.” 

Yancy strokes a thumb gently against the warmed metal of his pistol, but doesn't respond. His silence, however, is all the confirmation Raleigh needs. 

“Thought so,” Raleigh says, continuing on. “It's the same date, where I'm from...I'll never forget it for as long as I live, and I expect it's much the same for you here.” 

“...I'm not sure I follow you,” says Yancy. 

“Like I said...I don't know how,” says Raleigh. “But you're my brother...though now I'm starting to see you're not the _same_ brother...” 

The older man appears understandably confused by his statement. Yancy shakes his head. 

“Come again...?” 

“Today's date is also January 12, 2025,” says Raleigh. “Where I'm from, I mean. And five years earlier, my brother and I went on a mission... _you_ and I went on a mission...” 

Yancy remains silent. Raleigh decides this is either because Yancy is still trying to process what he's being told, or perhaps the older man is slowly starting to believe him. Regardless, Raleigh takes his silence as permission to continue. 

“Obviously, I don't really know how things went down for us here,” says Raleigh. “But where I'm from, _you_ were the one who died that day. _I'm_ the one who's been without a brother for five long years...and unlike you, _I_ wasn't so lucky to have even so much as a single strand of hair to bury.” 

Finally, Yancy takes a step back. He gives the younger man an incredulous stare. 

“ _What_...?”

He lowers his gun completely. Raleigh's expression is grim. 

“Took the words right out of my mouth, bro.”


	2. The Missing Seconds

The dates are the same, even if the events that take place are different across dimensions. At the same time Raleigh Becket detonates Gipsy Danger in one, Yancy Becket is sound asleep in the other. 

Somehow the self-destruction of Raleigh's Jaeger sets off a scientific anomaly; a rift appears in the Anteverse, and instead of shooting towards the ocean's surface, Raleigh's escape pod barrels on through this unexplainable opening. Raleigh passes out just seconds before the pod is swallowed by darkness, and the portal disappears just as soon as it had formed, without a trace.

And, like a scene from a science-fiction movie, Raleigh's unconscious form appears out of nowhere, stripped down to the clothes that were underneath his black armor. The bulk of metal he had been traveling in is nowhere in sight. 

He's tucked comfortably underneath the covers of his brother's bed. A brother who's in some ways the same as much as he's totally different. 

A few seconds is all the time that passes when these events occur. The trouble, of course, along with the confusion, doesn't begin until Raleigh stirs, shortly thereafter. 

Far less than a minute since he's arrived in this alternate dimension, Raleigh's already turning his head and opening his eye. The first thing he sees is Yancy. 

And all Raleigh can think is both “holy shit” and how he couldn't be happier than he is right at that moment. Even if, logically speaking, none of it makes any kind of sense.


	3. Not Quite a Reunion

“So what do you do here, anyway?” Raleigh asks, nodding his head towards Yancy's gun. “You some kind of law enforcement...?”

Yancy looks down at his hand and only just seems to remember that he's still holding the weapon. He clicks the safety back into place. Raleigh does his best not to let his relief so readily show, just in case. The Yancy standing before him know is a lot more testy than he remembers his brother ever being, but then again, Raleigh muses that perhaps this is how Yancy would have been in his dimension, had the younger Becket been the one taken out by the Kaiju called Knifehead. 

The older man gives Raleigh a small shrug. “Hm...I suppose you could say something like that.” 

“Military, then?” Raleigh asks, taking another guess. “If you are, that wouldn't be so surprising. In a way, that's what we were...you know...where I'm from.”

Yancy frowns. “...I need to know I can trust you.” 

Raleigh nods, perhaps a little too eagerly. “Yeah, I don't blame you. That makes sense. Just tell me what I need to do in order to prove it to you.”

A stormy look briefly flickers Yancy's face before his features settle into an expression that's more neutral. He tilts his head to the side and makes a slight gesture in the same direction with same hand that's still got a loose grip on his gun. 

“Take off your clothes.” 

Raleigh feels his mouth gape open and then close like a fish. He is stunned and unable to formulate any meaningful words at first, until finally he manages to string one coherent sentence together.

“I'm sorry...” Raleigh says, suddenly feeling a little faint. “But you're asking me to do _what_...?” 

“You heard me. Strip,” Yancy says as he slowly raises his firearm up again and releases the safety of it once again with a click. “If you really are who you say you are, then this shouldn't be a problem. You'd have nothing to hide.”

Immediately, Raleigh feels the blood in his veins run cold and a panic begins to rise in his chest. He's not sure what exactly it is that this Yancy is looking for, and part of him worries about what the consequences might be if the man doesn't find it, although if Raleigh were to be honest, he knows that he can probably guess.

“ _So far, all of the major key things seem to be the same between here and back home,”_ Raleigh thinks to himself as he begins formulating a quick mental checklist. _“Just a few notable differences here and there is all. Like how I'm dead instead of Yancy in this world, or how there's no such thing as Jaegers or Kaiju, but it seems like Yancy is still doing some kind of service work.”_

His inner monologue is briefly interrupted when Yancy suddenly sighs. “ _Look_...I realize what I've just asked you sounds like all kinds of awkward. _Especially_ if...” 

“No...it's all right,” Raleigh says, cutting the other man off as he draws his hands towards himself, letting his fingertips hover just over the hem of his shirt's waistline. “I mean...I think I get it...you know? You just want to check what's underneath, right...? Make sure it's all the same as you remember it?” 

“Y-yeah,” Yancy stutters, as if he's no longer quite sure of the actual necessity of his request, his face starting to tinge a light pink. “I mean...” 

“It's fine,” Raleigh says, shaking his head. “I'll do it.” 

He's barely lifted his shirt when Yancy lowers his gun and raises his free hand to stop him. “Hold on a minute. _Wait_. Forget what I just said.” 

“It's fine, Yance...” Raleigh repeats, flashing the older man a small half-smile of reassurance. “I would like it better if you trusted me rather than have you act so jumpy.” 

He lifts his shirt and as he does so, hears his older brother's breath hitch softly through the fabric. Raleigh shivers involuntarily when he feels the sudden brush of cool air against his skin. He blushes when his nipples harden. 

Raleigh internally curses himself when he feels the blood start to rush down to his nether region; there is a look that he sees in his brother's eyes now, and regardless of whether or not he's the same man by Raleigh's standards, the younger Becket is pretty sure the meaning behind Yancy's cloudy gaze remains just that. 

He lets one of his thumbs run over the edge of the top part of his pants. When he speaks, his voice is no louder than a soft whisper. 

“Shall I show you what's underneath these as well?”

Yancy releases a breath neither man realized he'd been holding. He slowly disengages and carefully tucks his gun away in the drawer of a night stand just beside where he's standing. When he does, Raleigh dares to take several steps forward and climbs onto the bed where just moments before he had been unceremoniously cast off. He almost fails to catch himself from arching his body slightly while letting his eyes roll to the back of his head with his lids fluttering shut in want in response to the way Yancy is regarding him with what he hopes is lust. For after all, it has been _so long_. 

He isn't sure what his supposed counterpart's relationship is with his brother in this life, but Raleigh finds himself desperately wishing for it to be the same as it was for him where he's come from. In an attempt to figure this out, Raleigh hooks a thumb at the waistband of his pants and tugs suggestively at it suggestively. He gives his brother as seductive of an expression as he can muster and is pleased to see the bob of his brother's throat as he gulps in reaction. Slowly, Raleigh leans himself back on the bed, his finger motioning Yancy towards himself in a come hither motion. The older man hisses and takes a small, somewhat uncertain step forward. 

“Why so shy...?” Raleigh whispers, his tone light and teasing. “I assume you're looking for something specific.” 

Yancy nods tightly, his jaw equally tense. “I am.” 

“Well...?” Raleigh says. “What are you waiting for, then? Come see if you can find it.” 

The older man requires no further encouragement. Yancy joins his younger brother on the bed at the same moment when Raleigh slides down his pants, and the older Becket gasps. Raleigh lightly grabs the older man's wrist before Yancy can completely retract his hand. 

For a moment they stay just like that, frozen. Then Raleigh smiles up at his older brother warmly. He gently pulls Yancy's hand towards his chest and shifts the placement of his own so that it's clasped over top. Both of their breathing is slightly uneven. 

“Go on, Yance...” Raleigh says softly. “Search me.” 

A pleased moan almost escapes his lips when his brother's hands move. The sudden intent that overtakes the desire in Yancy's eyes simultaneously turns Raleigh on and has him wondering what his older brother could possibly be looking for. 

Yancy rakes his fingers gently over the scarred tissue of Raleigh's left shoulder. In one life, it was caused by a creature known as Kaiju. In another, Raleigh had gotten it as a result of a dirt bike race gone wrong in their adolescent years—Raleigh had flipped over his bike after accidentally hitting a bump at an awkward angle, and the tire had run over the top part of his arm. 

Similar things could be said of other markings the older man finds on various sections of Raleigh's body; the remaining traces of old wounds that have naturally mended themselves, some so tiny or from so long ago that they almost blend in perfectly with the rest of Raleigh's otherwise smooth skin. All injuries mostly pertaining to Kaiju fights in one world were easily explained away in the other by memories of fist fights, minor accidents, and rare instances of extremely poor judgment. 

With each discovery appearing consistent with all that Yancy remembers, the older man finds himself slowly becoming more convinced that Raleigh is who he says he is; however, he's bothered by the lack of reasonable explanation for this strange phenomenon. All the scars on Raleigh's body, Yancy remembers, with the exception of the one that he remembers his brother receiving just before death, from a job gone wrong. This, however, Yancy has to admit is consistent with what the man pinned underneath him had earlier implied—that he is the same man, and any differences can be explained by the fact that he's supposedly from an alternate dimension. 

Initially, he had jumped to the conclusion that the younger man had somehow been planted in his room as some kind of twisted and elaborate mind game meant to break him. Now, though he still can't seem to wrap his mind around it, Yancy finds himself inclined to believe the man's bizarre explanation. And if Yancy's going to be completely honest, a significant part of him is afraid because of what the truth could mean, if proven valid. 

He feels Raleigh shiver underneath him and it snaps the older man out of his reverie. It's then he becomes incredibly aware of his awkward position—pinned between his legs is a man who not only bears an impossible resemblance to his deceased younger sibling, he is also almost completely naked save for a single article of clothing; the grey boxer briefs that seem suspiciously tight around the younger man's intimate region. Coming to his senses, Yancy attempts to back off only to be surprised when Raleigh stops him, once again catching hold of the older man's wrist. 

Yancy looks at him questioningly. Raleigh speaks. 

“Can you tell me something...?” 

Yancy hesitates at first, but then nods. He supposes it's only fair, since the younger man had so easily accommodated his own request. 

“Sure,” Yancy says, clearing his throat after his voice unexpectedly crackles, like it hasn't been used in a while. 

Raleigh half-smiles and brings Yancy's hand to his chest. He resists the urge to bring the hand to his lips and kiss it. 

“Promise you'll be honest with me,” Raleigh whispers. 

Yancy moistens his lips and nods. “All right...? You've got it.” 

“...are we more than brothers here?”

The question is asked in such a straightforward manner that Yancy almost fails to understand what he's being asked. Raleigh waits patiently, watching the older man's expression carefully as it shifts from confusion to dawning realization.

Yancy's brows crease at the center of his forehead. “Are you saying...?” 

“Where I'm from, there's a bit more to us,” Raleigh says with a slight shrug. “In addition to our being brothers, I mean...” 

Yancy doesn't say a word in response at first, and Raleigh squirms a little uncomfortably during the brief period of silence. Finally, the younger man feels Yancy's hand press gently against his chest on his own, so Raleigh loosens his grip. Yancy once again begins to trail his fingers across Raleigh's skin, but this time with different intentions. All the while he observes Raleigh's change in expressions carefully, gauging whether or not the younger man feels averse to his caresses. He's encouraged when Raleigh's eyes become half-lidded and he breathes out a soft sigh of contentment.

The younger man's focus sharpens when Yancy runs a thumb over his lips. After a moment, the older man slowly brings his face closer to Raleigh's. 

“If this is a dream...” Yancy murmurs. “I'm not entirely sure that I want to wake up from it.” 

Raleigh lifts his arms and places his hands on either side of the older man's face. He gives Yancy a small, tearful smile. 

“No dream...” he whispers. 

Yancy shakes his head slightly and his voice comes out sounding choked when he responds. “ _How_...?” 

Raleigh shrugs and lets out a small laugh, unable to help himself. His brows move expressively as he brushes at a few strands of the older man's hair. 

“I don't know,” Raleigh says quietly. “But it doesn't really matter all that much...does it?” 

“I...” Yancy trails off as he slowly lowers more of his body, pressing a bit more of himself against the younger man's slimmer frame. “This isn't...” 

“It's not entirely the same, I know...I get it,” Raleigh admits with a nod. 

He adjusts the placement of his hands so that they are now clasped behind the older man's neck. Yancy doesn't fight him when Raleigh gently pulls him in closer. Raleigh tilts his head slightly to one side and stares straight into the older man's eyes. 

“I'd rather have you, though...” Raleigh whispers softly, his lips curling into a small, lop-sided smile. 

He makes the additional statement when Yancy raises a questioning eyebrow. Raleigh tugs his brother's head down even closer, so close that now their lips are hovering dangerously close together. 

“...and I have a feeling,” Raleigh says, his gaze flitting back and forth between his brother's eyes and the older man's lips. “That if I know myself well enough and given the circumstances...I really wouldn't mind.” 

Yancy doesn't have to ask; he catches the true meaning behind the words. He also hears the question Raleigh leaves unasked. 

“ _What about you?”_

Instead of responding verbally, Yancy shuts his eyes, closes what little gap there is left between them, and lets his actions speak for him. Caresses are exchanged, soft and slow. Fingers intertwine, and the kiss grows passionate.

They do not make love, but it's only the first day.


	4. A Somewhat Belated Precautionary Measure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so several things...first of all, I don't think I can say this enough times...! I think I really do have some totally super awesome readers! LOVE you ALL!!!! The comments (from the ones who aren't shy to leave them) always make my day and put the hugest smile on my face, and so does seeing the silent kudoers who at least leave a trace by logging in and kudo multiple stories. Makes me so excited!
> 
> Let's see...second order of business...! I AM TOTALLY FAILING AT THIS FLUFF PROMPT...! This prompt is supposed to be overwhelmingly fluff (as per the OP's request) and yet...it's turning into this angsty little scenario! GAH...!! I'm trying to see if I can get through it soon so I can bring out the fluffy goodness. I'm starting to wonder if I went the wrong way about this when I started...and OH. In hindsight, I probably should have mapped out a plot more extensively before starting this, because as of now, I have absolutely no idea where it's going on top of myself feeling so totally overwhelmed by the fact that now I somehow have THREE multi-chaptered stories running...and it's already been a challenge to update the other two on a routine basis. Aieeee!! 
> 
> SO...I am going to try and finish at least one of the other two fics sooner rather than later, because at least with them, I have a clear idea of where I would like both their stories to go. As for this one...it really all depends right now on what kind of feedback I receive (i.e. what questions people ask, if the OP requests anything additional from the story, etc.).
> 
> Anyway...I was going to update another chapter of my Just a Window fic, but it looks like I'm out of time tonight as I do need to go to sleep. Oh well. TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY! LOL.
> 
> In the meantime, I hope all my readers enjoy this chapter as usual. And as always...my apologies for any unintended mistakes...!!!! I hope that any that are found do not distract badly nor take away from the overall entertainment value of the story/chapter!!

Yancy's in a daze when he arrives at work. For the most part, no one at the office seems to notice that he's practically running on autopilot. The only person who does are his fellow husband-and-wife co-workers, Aleksis and Sasha Kaidonovsky.

It's the wife that approaches Yancy's desk after watching him stare at the same page for an hour, brushing a thumb over his lip periodically with a deep frown on his face. He doesn't notice that she's standing by his desk until she clears her throat. Yancy looks up at her then, eyebrows raised.

The Russian raises an elegant eyebrow of her own, a hand on her hip. Her eyes flit meaningfully between Yancy's stack of papers and the man himself.

“Tough case?” she asks in that thick accent of hers.

“Ah...no,” Yancy says, shaking his head and rubbing a knuckle against his forehead. “Not really.”

“Something on your mind, then?” Sasha asks, tilting her head slightly to one side. “You seem distracted.”

“I, uh...yeah...I guess you could say that,” Yancy says with a slight shrug of the shoulders.

“Want to talk about it?”

Yancy half-smiles and shakes his head. “I appreciate the thought, but no. Thank you, though.”

“Aleksis and I shall be keeping eye on you,” Sasha says in her usual straightforward fashion. “We are not just a team here, Becket. We are family. Don't forget that.”

Yancy nods. “It's nothing serious, I promise.”

Seemingly satisfied, Sasha nods. “Very well.”

Yancy rubs at the back of his neck as he watches Sasha turn on her heels and leave his office. He lets out a short sigh before turning his attention back to his work and forcing himself to push away all the thoughts that had been distracting him.

Just hours earlier he had woken up to the impossible; the spitting image of his deceased brother, who claimed to be the same, just from a different dimension. The fact that Yancy still misses his brother is no secret to anyone who knows him. After getting over his initial shock, Yancy had experienced a rare lapse in judgment, letting emotions triumph over reason. That was why Yancy had ended up kissing the man.

That very kiss has bothered him ever since. It was familiar when it shouldn't have been.

Yancy absently ran a finger over his lips. Without meaning to, he once again became lost in his thoughts.

He had kicked the young man claiming to be his brother out of his apartment before leaving for work and he hadn't felt good about it. The fact that the younger man had been so understanding had done nothing to reduce Yancy's guilt.

“ _It's fine, Yance,” Raleigh had said. “Can I wait for you here though?”_

_He half-smiled when the older man hesitated. Raleigh gave Yancy a one-shoulder shrug._

“ _This world seems a little different from mine,” he had continued. “And I don't seem to have come here with any money...I don't really have anywhere else to go.”_

Yancy didn't know what had come over him then, but he had ended up telling the man that it would be all right for him to wait. There was a coffee shop just across the street, and that he'd be back home before nine. He'd then given the man a bit of money and left for work.

Unconsciously, he counts down the hours until the end of his shift. He wants to know if the young man will still be there. A part of him still wonders if he's imagining it all, which is why he hadn't said a word of it to anyone. At the same time, he realizes it probably isn't the wisest decision on his part, in terms of safety, but Yancy is known for taking his chances from time to time. It's a trait he and his brother had shared; never mind that the very same was ultimately the reason behind his little brother's downfall.

Just before leaving his office for the day, Yancy stops by at another one of his co-worker's offices. He knocks on the door and the person looks up from their work, raising an elegant eyebrow questioningly.

“Could I talk to you for a minute?” Yancy asks.

“Sure,” his co-worker says, nodding and waving him in. “Come on in.”

“Thanks,” Yancy says gratefully, stepping inside and closing the door to the office behind him. “Listen, I need to ask you something...”

While Yancy teetered between belief and skepticism, Raleigh held no such uncertainties. There were reasons for this.

Yancy pointing a gun at him. Even before that, the fact that Yancy was there to point a gun at him in the first place. Both were proof enough that he was neither in any form of paradise or place of eternal damnation, because the gun would not exist in one while Yancy would not in the other.

He's still at the coffee shop when Yancy drops in after work, just like he promised he would. The older man is mildly surprised to see him there. Instead of approaching him right away, Yancy just stands where he is, awkwardly. Raleigh tilts his head to the side and eyes the older man curiously for a brief moment, before his eyes light up with realization. When he rises from his seat, he purposefully walks in the path of another patron and murmurs his pardons as he brushes by them. Upon seeing the other individual acknowledge Raleigh's presence, Yancy realizes that Raleigh has sensed his doubt, though he doesn't know how. The stranger responding to Raleigh is either proof of his reality or confirmation that Yancy is stuck in a very vivid dream.

Raleigh approaches him. Yancy snaps out of his daze.

“I promised you I'd wait,” Raleigh says simply.

“That you did...” Yancy says dryly. “All right, come with me. Let's go back to my apartment.”

Raleigh nods and follows him. They had both just barely stepped in, with Yancy closing the door, when they're immediately greeted by an excited voice. Funny enough, Raleigh recognizes it immediately.

“Oh my God! Holy shit, Yancy...! If you hadn't said it, I wouldn't have believed it, man! _What_ the _fuck_...?!”

What Raleigh's ears hear, he almost doesn't believe until he sees who it is that is speaking. Dr. Newton Geiszler—the one from this dimension, anyway—is standing right there before him, plain as day. Raleigh raises both his eyebrows; the good doctor looks surprisingly more tame in comparison to the one Raleigh knew personally. This version still had his square-shaped frames, though.

Raleigh can't help shaking his head and chuckling. “Well...if it ain't Newt.”

“Holy shit! You _know me?!_ ” the shorter man asks, jumping on his toes and pulling his glasses a bit forward from his face as if he were trying to magnify Raleigh in them. “So you're saying that...wherever it is you come from...I _exist_...?!”

Raleigh nods affirmatively, continuing to laugh. “Yup. You sure do, man. You're just as energetic there too.”

“Holy crap!” Newton exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air and looking at Yancy. “Dude! I can't believe it, man! This is...this is amazing!”

He shrinks back a little upon seeing the look of disapproval on Yancy's face. Quickly, he clears his throat.

“Ah...sorry...that's right...that's not what you called me here for.”

Raleigh looks over at Yancy with a questioning brow. “What's he talking about, Yance?”

Yancy shakes his head. “Don't get too comfortable calling me by that name, kid. Not now...not yet.”

Raleigh frowns. Newton clears his throat again.

“ _Ahem_. If I may...?”

Raleigh returns his attention back to Newton and nods. “Yeah, sure. Go on.”

“ _Well_ ,” Newton begins enthusiastically, placing exaggerated emphasis on the word. “Yancy and I here work in the same department.”

A warning glare from Yancy prevents Newton from potentially leaking anything more in regards to their line of work. He hurriedly cuts to the chase.

“Long story short,” Newton says, chuckling nervously. “Yancy here wants me to grab a quick DNA sample from you, you know...just to confirm that you are who you say you are.”

Raleigh blinks. He glances over at Yancy with a slight frown.

“I thought you believed me...?” Raleigh asks, tilting his head slightly to one side. “Thought we determined I was real last night...?”

“Real, yes,” Yancy says, nodding tightly. “I just want to make sure you are who you say you are.”

Raleigh's frown lines deepen. “I thought we determined that before too.”

Yancy uneasily shifts the weight on his feet. “We did...I just want to be absolutely sure.”

Raleigh snorts. “ _Fine_.”

He once again turns towards Newt, arms folded over his chest in annoyance. He tilts his chin slightly upward.

“Go ahead. Take what you need.”

Newton had a cotton swab in his hand, ready. He shakes his head.

“Wow...!” he says as he takes a small step towards Raleigh. “Totally feeling the tension in the room here...!”

“Just take your sample, Newt,” Yancy says with an exasperated sigh.

“Yeah,” Raleigh says tartly. “Let's just get this over with.”

He leaves his mouth open in order to allow Newton to obtain the skin sample he needs. It doesn't take more than a second.

“Great!” Newton says cheerfully as he puts the sample away. “You both should have your results in a little while—I'll be running the test right away!”

Yancy nods as the other man moves to leave. “Give me a call as soon as you find out.”

“You know I will!” Newton responds brightly. “ _Urk_...!”

Yancy catching him by the collar causes him to make a choking sound. The taller man glowers down at him.

“And remember...” he warns. “Not a word to anyone at the department.”

Newton lets out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, yeah...I know...but...what if the results turn out to be positive?”

Yancy shakes his head, frowning. “Not even then. You know exactly why.”

“Yeah, that's true...you're right...” Newton agrees reluctantly, grumbling. “Such a shame though...! I mean, can you imagine what this could mean for science?”

“Just _do your job_ , Newt,” Yancy says as he practically pushes the doctor towards the door. “And be quick about it, will you?”

“You got it, boss!” Newton says, giving Yancy a grin and a mock salute. “Ooh...if only I could tell Hermann what I've got my hands on, he'd flip!”

Yancy groans after the scientist dashes out the front door and disappears down the hall. He lets out a small sigh after shutting the door and locking it.

“ _God_ I hope he doesn't go off and run his mouth...” Yancy mutters under his breath.

When he turns around to face Raleigh, the younger man's eyes are narrowed at him. Yancy frowns.

“ _What?_ ”

“You _know_ exactly what,” Raleigh says, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice entirely. “God, Yance...I know you've always been a bit more on the careful side, but never I expected you to be so damn suspicious.”

Yancy sighs. “Believe me, kid...I don't want to be, but you just don't understand the circumstances.”

“So then tell me!” Raleigh demands hotly.

Yancy shakes his head. “I'll be more than happy to. Maybe. When the results come in. If it turns out you really are who you say you are.”

“This is ridiculous...!” Raleigh says, throwing his hands up in the air. “I just don't get how you can't trust me right now like I trust you...!”

“I'll admit it, kid...when you put it like that, I'd be lying to you if I said that I wasn't the least bit flattered, but...” Yancy says, his lips forming a very thin smile. “I could say the same is true in reverse, honestly...I don't understand how you can trust _me_ so easily.”

Raleigh runs a hand over his face and groans. “Because we're _brothers_ , Yancy...! Because we've always been _close_...but you know what? _Forget it_. Maybe I should just _leave_...!”

Yancy grabs him by the elbow, stopping him. Raleigh turns his head to glare at the man, but stops when he sees that his older brother's eyes are moist.

“Listen...I'm sorry if it seems I'm being real difficult, kid...” Yancy says, voice shaking. “But you wouldn't understand.”

Raleigh sighs and lowers his shoulders. “Well...what do you want me to do then, man...?”

It's a little strange not being able to call Yancy by name, but Raleigh decides he's willing to suck it up and deal with it. For the moment.

Yancy lets out an equally long and heavy sigh. “At the very least...it's all right with me for you to stay here for now.”

“Oh, so you trust me enough to keep me around,” Raleigh says with a snort. “Or...ah...I see. You just want to keep an eye on me, don't you?”

Yancy chooses to side-step the question. He rubs at the back of his neck.

“Look, you can feel free to use the bed...”

“And you'll what, then?” asks Raleigh. “You'll take the couch? _Hah!_ You didn't have a problem sharing the bed with me last night!”

“...I wasn't thinking straight,” Yancy says with a sheepish expression on his face.

Raleigh shakes his head in irritation. “ _No_. If anything, you were thinking a lot more clearly. Anyway, don't worry; I don't plan on going anywhere, because like I said, I have no where else to go right now!”

Yancy's brows furrowed together. “Come on now, kid...! Let's be reasonable...”

“Reasonable? _Reasonable_ , Yancy?” Raleigh scoffs at him. “All right, I'll give you _reasonable_. How about this? _You_ take the bed. _I'll_ go ahead and make myself at home on the couch.”

With a huff, Raleigh turns on his heels and marches towards the couch. He leaves Yancy behind in his wake, a bit stunned by Raleigh's outburst, mostly because it reminds Yancy of an old memory.

He had an argument with his brother like this once, about something different, but the end result had pretty much been the same. Yancy had offered for Raleigh to have the bed to himself while Yancy took the couch, an arrangement only intended for one night at the very least, with the hope that in the morning they both would have cooled down. Then, much like now, Raleigh had refused and insisted on the couch. If the situation weren't so ridiculous, Yancy might have laughed a little.

Yancy lifts a hand and brings it to the back of his head and scratches at it. He lets out a small sigh.

“Well...at least...let me get you a pillow and a blanket?” he offers.

The tense silence brought about by Raleigh's sulking is his only response. Yancy sighs again. He knows that Raleigh is going to regret his decision in the morning—Yancy's couch is admittedly far from comfortable. This feels very much like that other time, and there's a part of him that just wants to reach out and apologize in the same way that he had back then.

Yancy remembers the final outcome of that argument almost as if it had happened yesterday. At some point, Yancy had decided to just swallow his pride and walked up to where his brother was, his tall frame stubbornly stretched out across the length of the couch. He remembered that he had leaned over his baby brother, whose eyes were angrily shut tight, and how he had run his fingers through the younger man's blonde locks.

“ _Come on, Rals...”_ he had said to the younger man then. _“Why don't you come back to bed with me, yeah...? I'm real sorry...”_

Part of him wonders if now things would pan out similarly to how they had then. It had taken a little bit more affectionate bribing and coaxing, but eventually Yancy had managed to draw out a smile and even eventually convinced his brother to come back to bed with him, where they had curled together contentedly.

A little voice in the back of his mind encourages him, telling him to try. He sits on his bed and stares at where the couch is from his vantage point; what can be seen through the doorway from the bed in his room. Raleigh is nowhere in sight, and since Yancy hadn't heard the front door open and shut, he could only assume that Raleigh was sprawled out on the couch, hidden from view.

At some point, Raleigh turns off the living room light, not so much as sparing Yancy the barest of glances as he does so. Several minutes, Yancy can hear the younger man's light snoring filter into his room. About an hour later, when Yancy is sure that the younger man must be deeply asleep, he drags out a blanket and a pillow and tucks them in where appropriate around the younger man's body.

The little voice in his mind tells Yancy that he should stop being stubborn and just carry the younger man into his room and tuck him properly into bed. After a bit of brief internal debate, Yancy decides that this is not only a good idea, it's the right thing to do, so he does so.

Shortly after performing his task, Yancy is about to leave the room when the little voice in his head suggests that perhaps Yancy should just slide into bed with the younger man. After all, they had shared the bed before with no problem the night before, so what could be the harm?

This time, Yancy decides to ignore the voice. He leaves the bedroom door open, makes his way to the couch, fluffs the pillow he had meant to give Raleigh to borrow, and wraps the blanket he had tucked around the younger man just seconds earlier before changing his mind about it all.

It does not take long for him to fall asleep. Yancy hopes that when tomorrow comes, he'll have concrete answers.


	5. A Storm is Brewing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh...this fic is turning out to be so far from fluff, I am BESIDE myself. *Despairs* Lolol. I don't know what I was thinking. Eventually, I hope to "bring it back home," so to speak. For now, it looks like I'm going to have to edit the tags so I don't mislead people...-_- maybe even the description...SIGHHHHHHH. Apparently, this is what happens when I only prepare a loose plan. LESSON LEARNED...!! On the bright side, people seem to be enjoying the story regardless, so I'll just take that as a good sign to keep going, lolol. I will bring this train back to the Land of Fluff...! Eventually!!
> 
> The other issue, I'm discovering, is without a detailed plan, my chapter titles are making me cringe...bwaaaaahhhhhh!! *DROWNS in SEA of TEARS!!!!* 
> 
> More to come, of course~ So as not to give anything away, a teeny note shall be tacked onto the end of this chapter...^^...

Light pours through the window and into the half the living room designated as a place for dining, but there still seems to be a bit of a shadow cast over the apartment. For a long time there is nothing but the sounds of clinking silverware against plates of breakfast foods and bowls of cereal. Raleigh and Yancy sit across from each other at a table in awkward silence. The younger man wants to ask his questions, but he doesn't dare to just yet; it's too early, and truthfully there's plenty of time anyway. So Raleigh waits.

Of course, he was never really the patient type, so upon observing Yancy frown to himself for the umpteenth time while not quite looking at Raleigh, the younger man finally sets down his spoon. The clatter seems to startle Yancy's eyes back into focusing on him, and Raleigh leans forward, arms folded. The older man immediately reacts defensively by lifting an eyebrow, shaking his head, and shrugging his shoulders slightly.

“ _What_...?”

Raleigh's brows crease together and apart once, very quickly, almost like a nervous twitch, except it's more like the act of suppressing a frown. The younger man's jaw shows the barest hints of tension.

“That should be my question, I think,” Raleigh says tartly. “You've only been glaring past me for the last half hour...”

Yancy clears his throat and suddenly seems quite interested in what's on his plate. He nudges his eggs around briefly before lifting his head back up and forcing a smile.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

This time, Raleigh frowns openly. Yancy unconsciously bites down on the inside of his cheek and thinks back to roughly an hour earlier.

Yancy had woken up before Raleigh had, but that was no surprise; the couch was a _terrible_ resting place. Yancy had gotten it on sale years ago, when he was still a greenhorn at the Bureau; he and his brother were on a budget, mostly due to the student loans they had mutually agreed wanting to pay off as soon as possible. They could have upgraded as soon as the debts were paid and they were both making decent money, but they hadn't wanted to deal with the headache of tossing one couch out and the other in.

Raleigh did surprise him, however, by waking up several minutes after he did. At five-thirty in fact, like his younger brother used to. Like clockwork. It bothered Yancy. He also found it troubling that he was beginning to think of this man as Raleigh and the memory of his late younger sibling as simply his _younger brother_. This subtle shift in thinking occurred well before his colleague's text, which had been practically oozing with enthusiasm.

“ _Can you believe it?! It's a hit! Would love to see Hermie's face...I really can't tell him?”_

The message had sent him reeling, but Yancy hadn't wasted much time dwelling on the shock value of the information; rather, he forcefully sorted himself out and then concentrated on what mattered. _N_ _o_ , had been Yancy's curt reply to Newton. Given that the results weren't somehow compromised in any way, the news changed everything. He'd need to be careful; there was simply too much at stake.

Antsy while waiting for the lab results, Yancy had conducted his own bit of experimenting. Shortly after the younger man had woken up, Yancy had offered him breakfast.

Raleigh had smiled. “Sure, Yance...! What'chu making?”

Anyone observant enough would have noticed the way the older man had hesitated for the briefest of moments. Raleigh's smile was so familiar, so reminiscent that Yancy decided he wouldn't make a big fuss over the casual use of the long-lost nickname, and let it slide. Perhaps that was when it all started.

Yancy had smiled back tightly. “I was thinking eggs, bacon, and a few flapjacks...you could have a bowl of cereal too, if you wanted.”

The younger man had grinned. “Mm...that all sounds great.”

Yancy had nodded and turned towards the kitchen. He began making a show of bustling about the kitchen. At one point his hands had stopped, holding the door of a half-opened cabinet.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” he had asked as casually as he could manage, the question tossed over his shoulder.

He didn't know what had thrown him off more; the reply or the tone of it. “What...? Uh...no thank you. I, um...I actually hate the stuff.”

One of Yancy's eyebrows had twitched slightly then, and he had moistened his lips. “...how 'bout a cup of hot cocoa, then...?”

The smile in the younger man's voice had also been familiar. “Now _that_ , I'll take.”

Yancy didn't know what had come over him then. His lips had curled into an ironic smile.

“How about a bit of honey on your pancakes...? For your sweet tooth.”

Again, the audible smile. “...it's like you read my mind!”

“ _Hey!”_

Yancy blinks involuntarily, brought back to the present by a flick to the forehead. He stares at the man across from him who is tilting his head to the side curiously, a light frown on his face. Raleigh shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders slightly

“Where did you go?” he asks.

The older man doesn't answer. Raleigh sighs.

Yancy frowns. He realizes that he needs to come to a decision, so he makes one. He takes a sip of his coffee and then looks Raleigh in the eyes.

“I need to go to work,” Yancy says. “You're welcome to stay here. There's plenty of food in the fridge if you get hungry, and feel free to watch television if you get bored. We've got cable.”

Confusion breaks out on the younger man's face. Realization flickers in his eyes seconds later.

“You got the results back on that test, didn't you?” Raleigh asks. “It came up a match, didn't it?”

The older man rises from his seat and begins clearing his half of the table. His jaw is set tight.

“Truthfully, kid, I don't quite know _what_ to think right now...” Yancy admits quietly.

“You still don't trust me?” Raleigh asks.

The look Yancy gives him unexpectedly quells his disappointment. Raleigh can't think of a word or phrase to describe what he sees off the top of his head, but the fact is that he _sees_ something in the older man's eyes that strikes him. Yancy's cryptic reply doesn't exactly help make things a little less unclear.

“Believe me, kid...” Yancy says. “If I'm to believe what I've been told, then this situation just got bigger than the both of us.”

It's obvious the older man is omitting a considerable chunk of information; however, Raleigh understands. Whatever it is, he's to wait, that much is clear. Raleigh figures the older man will tell him when he's ready.

“Okay...” Raleigh says slowly. “So you'd like me to wait here?”

“That would be preferable,” Yancy says. “My hours tend to fluctuate. I'll definitely be home later tonight though. We'll talk then.”

Raleigh nods. “All right.”

He resists the urge to squirm uncomfortably when Yancy scrutinizes him for a few moments before turning and making his way towards the bedroom. The older man emerges minutes later in work clothes as Raleigh's putting his dirty dishes into the sink. Raleigh half-smiles when he notices Yancy fumbling with his tie at the front door. The younger man wipes his hands on a dry towel and makes his way over to the older man.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

There's an unreadable expression on the older man's face as Raleigh fixes his tie, but Yancy allows the younger man to do so without protest. When he's finished, Raleigh takes a step back and pretends to admire his handiwork.

“Looking sharp,” Raleigh says with a smile. “Have a good day at work.”

There's a slight twitch in the older man's jaw. “Thanks...”

Raleigh raises an eyebrow when Yancy turns and his hand stops on the doorknob. “...something wrong?”

The older man hesitates. Finally, he just shakes his head.  
  
“Nothing,” he says. “I'll see you after work.”

“Okay...?” Raleigh says, frowning slightly. “See you...”

Before he knows it, the older man's out the door and gone. Raleigh finds himself staring at the door for a moment, puzzling over the contents of their odd exchange.

As soon as Yancy makes it to his office, he buzzes for Newton, making sure not to do so on speaker. The other man's cheery voice comes through the ear piece.

“ _Newt here!”_

“Meet me in my office for a sec?” Yancy asks. “It's Yancy.”

“ _Sure thing, pal! Be right over.”_

The scientist bounds into his room several minutes later, all grins. “What can I help you with?”

Yancy tries smiling, but it's tense. He nods at the door.

“You can shut that, for starters,” he says.

Newton blinks. “Oh. Right. Sure.”

He turns back to Yancy after he's shut the door. “So...what's this about?”

Yancy decides to cut right to the chase. “Have you told anyone?”

“Nope, not a soul!” Newton says. “Although, I _have_ been wanting to ask...don't you think we should? Not just in the name of science, of course, though that's definitely important, but—”

“ _No_ ,” Yancy says firmly, shaking his head. “Don't you get it, Newt? Think about what this means...the results _are_ legitimate, right?”

Newton frowns. “You doubt my methods?”

Yancy groans softly and rubs at his temple. “Look...I just want to be absolutely sure, all right...?”

“Well, I'll have you know that I did run the test several times, just to be sure,” Newton says. “Since I wasn't allowed a second pair of eyes to look over the results. Still, I'd like to say the results are pretty damn accurate.”

Yancy nods. “I was a little afraid of that.”

Newton frowns uncharacteristically. “What do you mean? Isn't this more of a _good_ thing for you?”

“If whole situation wasn't so outrageous, then yeah, maybe...” Yancy says, frowning slightly as he trails off.

Newton eyes him curiously. “And...?”

Yancy sighs. “Listen...how familiar are you with the A.G. cases?”

Newton's brows furrow together slightly as he thinks. “Ah...I remember those. Only got to see the forensics aspect of them though.”

Yancy nods. “That sounds about right...the chief made sure the cases were left mostly under wraps...”

In a few swift movements he uses a key to unlock a drawer of his desk and produces two files from it, pushing them across his desk towards the scientist. Newton quirks an eyebrow at him.

“What's this?”

“I've decided that for now...we're letting one more into our ring,” Yancy says as he leans forward, resting his chin atop laced hands, his arms propped at the elbows. “One look at these and it shouldn't take you long to figure out who or why.”

A bit warily, Newton takes hold of the files and quickly skims over the contents. After a few seconds, he looks up at Yancy.

“How did you get these?” Newton asks.

“They aren't official,” says Yancy. “Products of my own research.”

Newton shakes his head. “...but you've got copies of official records in here!”

“I was part of the team in both cases and had unrestricted access to contents the files,” Yancy says, lifting a somewhat amused brow. “S'matter, Newt? You're not exactly by the book yourself.”

“W-well, I-I...!” the scientist sputters.

“ _Relax_ , Newt,” Yancy says with a soft chuckle. “I'm telling you this to keep you in the loop. Not a word to anyone else, all right?”

“What about the chief?” asks Newton.

Yancy shakes his head. “I told you, not even him.”

“But—!”

“I know the rules, Newt,” Yancy says, cutting the other man off with a small sigh. “And I promise, I'll bring the chief up to speed. Eventually. I'll deal with the consequences when it comes to that...for now, bear with me, will you?”

Newton shakes his head. “Do you even have a plan?”

Yancy nods at the files the other man still holds in his hands. “Come on, Newt. You're smart. You read the files. You should know...”

The blonde half-smiles when the other man seems to make the connection. Newton's eyes widen.

“W-wait a minute...! You don't mean...?” Newton shakes his head. “That sounds like a bad idea, Yancy...! A very, _very_ bad idea...! Couldn't you just tell the chief, and—”

“And tell him what, exactly?” Yancy asks with a small frown. “That my brother's still alive? Except that's not _entirely_ true either, is it? According to him, he's from some other dimension...which _already_ sounds insane, even if we don't consider the alternative explanation, which would be that he somehow pulled off a fucking _Lazarus_.”

“We have scientific proof though!” Newt says.

“Even if the chief _were_ to believe us,” says Yancy. “Then what?”

“Well, then I guess people at the department would find out and then... _oh_. Wait a minute...!” Newton says, eyes briefly flitting to the folders he's holding before looking back up at Yancy. “ _Ah_. I see...”

Yancy half-smiles. “Yeah.”

“We _can't_ tell him...” Newton says.

“ _Nope_.”

“...because it could set off an unwanted chain reaction within the department!”

Yancy chuckles softly. “Glad we're finally on the same page.”

“Holy shit...!” Newton says. “So you think it's possible that—”

“I do,” says Yancy.

Newton's mouth opens and closes like a fish. Yancy waits.

“Wow,” Newton says finally. “I can't believe you trust me enough to share all this information!”

He hands Yancy back the files when the blonde holds out his hand for them. Yancy places them back into the drawer he had taken them out of before and locks it. He then sighs as he rises from his seat.

“Well, I did need someone who could verify the kid's identity at my apartment,” says Yancy.

Newton's shoulders slump a little. “Ah...that's right. That's true. So—”

“Still,” Yancy says, interrupting the scientist. “I need allies.”

The shorter man's posture straightens when Yancy claps a hand on his shoulder. Newton gulps involuntarily when the blonde stares him square in the eyes.

“Do I have your support, Newt?” Yancy asks.

Newton's lips twitch as he tries not to inappropriately break out into a huge grin. His somewhat shaky voice, however, betrays at least a fraction of his excitement.

“S-so that makes me like, what...l-like your partner in crime or something?” Newton asks, trying his hardest not to appear too eager.

Yancy can't help the slight upward curl of his lips, despite himself. “If that's how you'd like to think of it.”

“Oh man!” Newton says as he bounces with excitement. “ _So_ cool!”

“Now I have to go, so unfortunately I'm going to have to see you out,” Yancy says as he walks around his desk. “I'll contact you again though when I need your help, all right?”

“Sure thing, boss!” Newton says, giving Yancy a mock-salute.

“And remember...” Yancy says. “Act casual, all right?”

The way Newton grins makes the taller man almost regret his word choice. “Right! You got it! _Man_ , this is so cool...! I feel like a double-agent!”

Yancy groans inwardly when the scientist turns on his heels and practically skips down the hall after leaving the office. Fortunately, Newton's eccentric behavior doesn't really raise any suspicion since most of the department considers that to be the norm. Upon a quick scan of the floor, most of Yancy's co-workers appear engrossed in whatever they are working on. He turns around and makes sure to lock his office before walking in the same direction Newton had gone.

He stops just under the door frame of another office and knocks on part of the wall inside. The man sitting at his desk inside looks up at Yancy and raises an eyebrow. The blonde speaks up before the other man can say anything.

“Mind if we talk? Privately?”

His colleague frowns a bit and seems to study Yancy for a moment. He nods shortly thereafter and slowly puts away what he's been working on.

“Sure. Shut the door.”

Yancy does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahem~ So...looks like there's going to be calculating!Yancy and a bit of dark!Yancy? Sort of? I DON'T KNOW!! SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS!!!! LOLOL. 
> 
> SERIOUS QUESTION TIME!! Anyone care if things get kind of dark/twisted and the story gets kind of suspenseful/thriller-y so long as things all work out in the end? Are people cool with a bit of development? Or should I just jump ship and hurry it up with the fluff already? Opinions! Please! Voice them! I AM LISTENING!! :D


End file.
